Saga Promises - MMM Challenge Response, Owen, Beru, and Luke - AU

Title: Promises
Author: VaderLVR64
Characters: Owen, Beru, and Luke
Genre: AU, vignette
Summary: Beru, facing death, insists that Luke be told the truth of his heritage.
Notes: I really wanted to write something for the MMM Challenge, but my must did not cooperate. Until this morning. Such is life. Anyway, I wrote this in about thirty minutes and didn?t have time to rework or do anything beyond the most basic editing. Please excuse my mess.


Promises


?You have to tell him,? the woman said softly, her hand gently brushing along the man?s hair as he knelt at her bedside.

?I won?t,? he said between his clenched teeth. ?It?I?I won?t.?

?You have to,? she murmured, her tone and her touch exquisitely gentle. ?For me??

Those were the words that undid him, and his broad shoulders shook with sobs as he laid his head on the bed beside her and wept. His hand found hers, their fingers linking as they had done so many times before. ?No,? he moaned. ?I won?t. I can?t. Don?t ask it of me.?

Tenderly, her hand raised his chin so that she could stare into his eyes. As always, her gaze was steady with a strength that any warrior would envy. He wondered how he would get along without her, and then quickly pushed away the thought. It was too painful.

He brought her rough, work worn hand to his lips. ?Beru?? he sighed. A tear escaped him and fell down onto her flesh, where it glistened for just a moment. ?We can?t? Without you, it just doesn?t work.?

Her smile was pained, but genuine. ?You?ll make it work, Owen,? she told him. ?I have faith in you?and in Luke.?

?Why do I need to tell him?? Owen asked. ?The boy?s going to be a farmer. Just like me, like my father. That?s what Shmi would have wanted,? he insisted stubbornly.

?My Owen,? she whispered. ?Always so blind to what you do not want to see.? Once more, her caress brushed over him and he shuddered at the thought of the long years that stretched out before him, bereft of her touch, the soft press of her lips, the gentle and humble music of her laughter.

?He doesn?t need to know,? Owen insisted once more.

?Not yet,? she agreed. ?But that?s why this is the perfect time to tell him. Before he needs to know, before his destiny can come and claim him.? She settled a stern look on him. ?And it will claim him, Owen. No matter how much we might wish it wouldn?t, it will find him.? She smiled sadly. ?It?s his destiny, and who are we to argue against that??

He was silent for a moment. Then his head bowed and his shoulders sagged. He heard her sigh with relief. ?Will you tell him with me?? Owen finally asked, looking up at her. He could not tell Luke alone, and though he hated to ask it of her, he had to. He was weak, and Beru was strong ? in every way that mattered.

The pain and fatigue were eating away at her flesh, insidiously taking their toll even when she slept, even when the medication kept the agony at bay for a few sweet hours. She was being stolen from him and he was helpless to stop it.

Beru closed her eyes for a moment, and he wondered if she was praying for strength or trying to push down the pain to a place where she could endure it. Finally, her eyes flickered open and she smiled; he felt peace flood his soul for he saw her answer in her tender gaze. ?All right,? she said softly. ?We?ve done everything together so far,? Beru murmured. ?We won?t stop now. We?ll tell him together.?

Owen nodded, his heart too full for words. He leaned over and kissed her, giving her his promise. He surged to his feet, his movements jerky and graceless, stumbled to the door. He walked down the short hallway and found Luke sitting in a chair, his knees drawn up and his arms wrapped around them. There was evidence of recent tears on the boy?s face. Abruptly, Luke turned a stricken gaze toward Owen. ?She?s asking for you,? he said softly and watched as the fear left Luke?s expression.

Luke nodded and stood up. As he passed by the man,

 

Beautiful, simply beautiful.

Fantastic as always.

CJM

 

Great Work, Mamma Vader! You're an amazing writer who knows how to put an stupendous story together. You tug on our hearstrings like a marionette and that's not fair.

Well done!!

 

Poor Beru and Owen needing to go on without her. And Luke poor child.

Lovely and well written

 

So sad and so touching!

It was so nice to see Owen as loving and caring... you don't see that too often in fanfic!

You are such an amazing author... there are very few who could write so fast and make it seem like they had been working on it for ages!

Beautiful job!

 

Wow! That was amazing!

Dana

 

?He brought you here so that you would be safe,? Beru said. ?And so that we could have a little boy to love as our own.?

?And we promised him that we?d watch over you,? Owen added huskily. ?A promise we won?t ever break. That I won?t break?no matter what.?

Luke began crying silently and buried his face in Beru?s shoulder. The news of his parentage faded in the face of his impending loss. Perhaps that was what Beru intended, Owen thought. It would give Luke time to consider what they had told him. He would turn it over and over in his mind, but would not be able to dwell on it for a while yet.

There would be other things for Luke to worry over, Owen thought grimly.

They allowed Luke?s sobs fade away until he was left drained and drowsy at Beru?s side. Finally, she tilted up his face and placed a tender kiss on his cheek. ?You?re going to do very great things, Luke Skywalker,? she whispered. ?I only wish I could be here to see them.?
Heartbreaking, but beautiful! Lovely job!!
And you wrote this in thirty minutes? Wow, just wow! You're amazing!

 

Wonderful characterizations. Very touching, heart tugging. A glorious ... mess. Huggles & bravo!!!!!!!!!

 

?He doesn?t need to know,? Owen insisted once more.

?Not yet,? she agreed. ?But that?s why this is the perfect time to tell him. Before he needs to know, before his destiny can come and claim him.?

Wonderful and wise. I love how accessible you've made Owen and Beru; how you've shown how much they loved Luke and each other. It must have been a very hard life for them.

 

Nicely put together. It took you 30 minutes?!? Wow, that's amazing!

 

Mama Vadey!!!! That was soooooooo beautiful! Heartbreaking, but lovely!!!!!

Huggles!
Irish

 

Awwwwww! I absolutely love what Beru has to say to Luke-- so touching yet bittersweet Great job!

 

What a tidy mess!

Very sweet, sad, and lovely.

 

So much emotion behind those words...I've always been interested in the struggle Beru and Owen must have had while raising Luke, and you captured it perfectly.

 

I could so see Owen being that hesitant to say anything to Luke about his parentage, and Beru pushing the issue. Liked that.


Well done, VaderLVR64. Very well done.

 

Great work, Vader. Exceptional stuff.

 

That was absolutely beautiful.
Poor Owen, he's gonna have a hard time with Luke isn't he? But I think they'll develop a better bond because of it. Was this a one-shot or will you continue it for it has much potential.

 

You made me cry!!! Girl, you are becoming the ultimate authority on writing Beru! (Of course I've always LOVED your 'Han', too.)

Wonderful as always!

Bravo!

 

Ooh, intriguing AU. I wonder what Owen and Luke's relationship would be like without Beru around? Great work, VL - it's always good to see more Beru and Owen fic around.

 

?You?re going to do very great things, Luke Skywalker,? she whispered. ?I only wish I could be here to see them.?



And she should have been!

I loved Beru's strength so close to her death. It's so like her to insist Luke know the truth - some of it anyway - no matter how painful it was to tell and hear.

Great response to the challenge